Suitor
by CrypticSweetTalk
Summary: This was first written for my theme challenge on deviantart. the theme is hero. It's pretty much secretly a GaaSaku fanfiction with KibaIno and slight indication of NaruHina, ShikaTema, and NejTen. One Shot.


"Hinata!"

A pair of white eyes focused on flowing hair pink hair. Sakura Haruno, now in her early twenties, had overcome some sort of metamorphosis. She allowed her pink hair to grow all the way down past her mid back. Her figure wasn't boyish any more. Her whole body was now composed of curve after womanly curve. It was all carried on long tone legs. A fine kunoichi, top medical ninja in The Village Hidden In The Leaves and combat specialist. Her strength and intelligence reaching new levels. Sakura was pretty much perfect. Except for one problem.

Petite Hinata smiled. "Running from him again, Sakura-chan?"

"Shh!" Sakura's eyes widened. "Don't say my name too loud! He might hear!"

Hinata couldn't help but giggle. "Do you need some where to hide out while he calms down?"

Sakura's cheeks started matching her hair. "O-only for a little while." Her voice was small. Sakura couldn't believe she had to resort to such cowardly actions to keep him away. She could easily fight him off but that was beneath her. She could never physically hurt him. Emotionally either. It was hard for her just to tell him to fuck off, leaving her in this predicament.

Hinata smiled. "He'll know that you're with me so let's go see if my team mates will help us out. The black haired Hyuga heiress pulled at Sakura's arm. With a heavy sigh Sakura let her legs follow the direction of the pull. _Just what I needed. More people to know I'm hiding._

"**My beloved Sakura blossom!**" A giant green blur passed through the streets of Konoha. "**Where could you be?**" A determined Rock Lee sighed in frustration. _Might my lovely flower be in trouble?_ Forming a rush of tears, Lee speed up, leaving villagers and fellow ninja in a whirlwind of dust.

Sakura frowned when a door slammed open in her face.

"Oi! Hinata? Haruno? What are you doin' here so early in the morning?" Kiba peered through sleepy eyelids.

_It's three in the afternoon_. Sakura sighed when she saw his hair. It was worse than usual. More wild and unkept than usual.

"K-Kiba-kun..." Hinata started blushing at her shirtless team mate. He blinked, uncertain of why she was slightly red. Sakura noticed.

"Dolt. Put on a shirt."

"Oh? Is it bothering you Hinata?" Of course she was. Hinata was raised old fashioned, she wasn't used to seeing shirtless men. On missions she slept in a tent separate from Shino and Kiba.

She nodded and he chuckled. Tan skin disappeared into the dark living quarters and then reappeared fully clothed. "So what's up?" Kiba yawned showing pointy canines.

"Can we come in Kiba-kun?"

He looked back into his apartment. "Yeah... sure. It's a mess though."

Big surprise there. Sakura couldn't believe she was going into hiding from Lee, in Inuzuka Kiba's house.

"Naruto! Good evening!" Lee rushed up next to an neon orange outfit. "Have you by any chance seen Sakura-chan?"

Naruto's temples started to sweat. "Yeah." Lee jumped from excitement. "She ran by me earlier in the morning. When I ran after her she told me to go away. You know me, I don't listen. So I grabbed her by the wrist and she punched the daylights outta me. Said I was gonna get her caught. I really don't understand." He started mumbling things Lee couldn't understand. Lee frowned. _Some one is after my cherry blossom! _

Sakura sat on a wooden futon, reluctantly. Kiba's apartment was anything but a mess, it was empty. He noticed her roaming eyes.

"I'm rarely here ya' know? Never have a chance to decorate." Sakura nodded. "So what's going on Hinata?"

The shy Hyuga smiled politely. "Sorry to intrude on you Kiba-kun, especially while you were asleep. Sakura needs to stay somewhere for a while. She's in hiding."

"No shit?" Kiba spat. "From who? Is it a mission Haruno?"

Sakura shook her head. "Worse." Kiba eyed her curiously.

Before he could ask anything else a loud bark came from Kiba's room, startling Kiba's two female guests, or so they thought. A giant shaggy white dog came running out to the living room, followed by a feminine figure.

"Looks like my guest of honor is up." Kiba smirked devilishly.

Sakura's eyes widened and almost popped out of their heads when her close friend Ino Yamanaka walked out of the dark corridor, smiling. "Ohayō gozaimasu," she yawned.

"**Ino what the hell are you doing in Kiba's room?**" Sakura couldn't believe what she was looking at. Bronze muscular arms wrapped around a thin pale frame. Ino was in an oversized tee shirt, being pulled onto Kiba's lap. Her long blonde hair messy and down.

Hinata smiled at the pair sitting on top of the kanson table.

Ino laid her head on Kiba's shoulder and thought for a minute. "What any other normal young lady would be doing in her _**boyfriend's**_/b room after spending a loooong passionate night with him." Sakura's jaw dropped, emerald eyes looking from a smug Ino, smirking Kiba, and blushing Hinata.

"**You're** dating **Kiba**!"

"Oi! You make it sound like it's a bad thing." There was a low growl in his voice.

Ino laughed and patted Kiba's head. "So? **You're **_**not**_ dating anyone."

Sakura blushed. "D-did you know about this Hinata-chan?"

Hinata smiled weakly, "For about a week."

"They've been together for more than a week!" Sakura slammed her palm into her face.

"So I'm guessing you're running from Lee again." Ino snorted.

Kiba let out a howl. "Haruno is running from Lee?"

Lee was freaking out at this point. He rushed into the Hyuga mansion, Ino's empty condo, Tenten and Neji's house, and even the abandoned Uchiha providence. Sakura was no where. Not the hospital, training field, Tsunade's office... She disappeared. Lee felt like crying. _Where are you beautiful lotus blossom?_

Sakura sighed. _I know if I try to punch Ino she'll trap me in her perfected Mind Destruction technique, maybe the newly developed genjutsu. That or Kiba will kick me out. Hell. They might double team on me._

"I just don't want to hurt him."

"Maybe you should give him a chance, Sakura-chan." Hinata spoke softly, concerned for both Sakura and Lee.

Sakura shook her head. "No. I don't feel that way about Lee. He's great but he isn't the _one_."

Kiba snorted. "We killed the '_one_' so many years back under Danzo's fucking orders."

Sakura's stomach dropped. "Sasuke wasn't the one for me."

"Maybe you should give Lee a chance." Ino sighed. "It's not like any one else is after you. Naruto already seems to have interest in _someone_ else."

Hinata blushed. "W-we're just friends!"

"Oh?" Ino raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't talking about anyone is specific someone, I just _heard_ that he was secretly seeing someone."

Hinata went tomato red.

Sakura was some where else right now. _Is Lee the one for me?_

"**Hell no!**" Kankuro yelled reaching Konoha's gate with his siblings. "I won't let you stay in the Leaf Village, Temari!" The puppeteer traveling with his siblings was not wearing his Kabuki-like make-up or wore his black cap, his expressions in clear view. He was upset. "You love the sand. Don't give up what you have there."

"Kankuro, I'm a diplomatic liaison between Sunagakure and Konohagakure. I'll have to move to and from regularly. I won't be permanently moving to Kohana. I'll just be away from home a few months at a time."

Kankuro groaned. "Then why do Gaara and I have to come along, carrying your bags." Kankuro looked over at his younger brother, he was using his sand to carry his portion of Temari's luggage. _No fair._

"Because, I can't bring seven months worth of clothing here myself." Temari grinned.

"Couldn't you just buy clothing here in Konoha?" Kankuro said stopping at the gate. Temari nodded, "The women here are short. Nothing fits me."

"Amazon." Kankuro mumbled under his breath.

"Enough." Gaara demanded. "You need to be on your best behavior Kankuro."

Temari stuck her tongue out at Kankuro behind Gaara's back and mouthed "I win".

The sand siblings waited at the gate while the guards inspected them before letting them pass to the Hokage's office.

Shikamaru sat back in his chair. "So you're looking for Sakura? What makes you think that I know where she is? We're not the best of friends you know."

"Oh Shika-kun, I've asked almost everywhere." Lee cried.

Shikamaru sighed, _Troublesome Lee. _

"Maybe I should go ask Kiba!"

"N-No!" Shikamaru knew that Ino was with Kiba. He knew Ino well, if Lee barged into Kiba's apartment yelling and crying all hell would break lose. Disturbing Ino in bed with another man was something Shikamaru knew would make Lee end up dead. "Uhm. Kiba is on a mission with... uh... Ino?" Kind of true.

"Oh? That's why she wasn't home earlier."

"Yeah... If I was you I'd forget about looking for Sakura. She's strong and highly capable of taking care of herself."

"B-b-but..."

"Sakura is one of the best kunoichi we have, she's even stronger than most _shinobi._ She's fine."

Lee sighed, "I would at least like to see her. Maybe she's lonely!"

Shikamaru wouldn't have gotten up and walked away if he wasn't so comfortable. _Troublesome Lee._

Sakura felt a little uncomfortable. Ino was having sex, Hinata was secretly seeing her team mate, and Sakura had no one to go to at night or go out with when she had free time. She sat in Kiba's apartment, head hanging heavy. _Maybe I should give Lee a chance. It couldn't hurt._

"I think that Lee's sorta a creep." Kiba interrupted her thoughts "Not that I'm saying Haruno is capable of getting someone like me but maybe she has chances with some one like Shino." He chuckled.

"No. Shino has those disgusting bugs in him." Ino scowled.

Sakura looked up, "And you're doing it with dog boy!"

"Shut up! So what? He's not scruffy like a dog!" Ino stuck her tongue out at Sakura. She was right. He was very human, manly.

"How about some one out of the village?" Hinata asked.

"The Kazekage is waay out of her reach." Ino snorted.

"Kankuro is pretty much in her league." Kiba remembered the puppeteer.

"But he always wears paint on his face. What if he's hiding deep scars or deformities?"

"That's awful, Ino!" Hinata kind of wondered the same.

"Oh shut up!" Sakura was getting tired of them. She got up, "I'm going to go do some work for Tsunade. Thank you for you hospitality, Inuzuka."

"Uh. Sure thing?" He called back to the slamming door.

"Sakura! Good thing you're here." Tsunade signaled for her to talk in through the cracked door. "I need you to escort our guests to their guest apartments." Sakura looked towards the guest. It was the Kazekage and his siblings. "Temari will be here for a little more than half a year. Her brothers will spend a few days with her while she gets settled in."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." Sakura smiled at the sand trio. _Might as well be polite_. "Welcome back to Konohagakure." Temari grinned back, Gaara nodded, and Kankuro huffed.

"So your saying if I play 'hard to get' that Sakura-chan will come to me?" Lee looked puzzled.

"Sure." Shikamaru was trying to find a way to get him to leave without getting up. "Just go home and let us, I mean her, be.

"But then how will she really know my love for her if I don't demonstrate it? Maybe if I play hard to get she'll think I don't love her anymore and be discouraged to come to me!"

Shikamaru felt like he himself should run away. _Troublesome Lee._

Sakura made most conversation with Temari, sometimes with Gaara. Kankuro just walked behind them, not interested in anything.

_Does Temari really expect to stay here? What's so special about this place anyways?_

"Kankuro?" Sakura sounded uncertain. This was who Kiba thought in her league? He wasn't wearing his puppet make-up, she knew it was him but something just felt off.

"What?"

"You're extremely quiet back there. Is something wrong?"

Kankuro started mumbling.

"Well?"

"Nothing."

Sakura stepped back, walking next to Kankuro.

"You can tell me." She smiled.

Kankuro looked confused. "Since when are you friendly?"

The pink haired woman frowned. "Well excuse me." She looked down. _What am I doing?_

"I don't want my sister to be away from us." Kankuro spoke up. "We always had each other, even when we didn't act like a family, it was always us three. We fought for Suna, even under the tyranny of our father. Sometimes we almost died, Temari and I. Sometimes it was the enemy after us, other times it was Gaara out of control." Sakura looked at him, sadness in her eyes. "Then Gaara started changing. We were finally a family, the three of us."

"Hey Sakura!" Temari called from up front. "Is this the place?"

Sakura looked around. They were in front of the new compound Tsunade had built for their closest allies. It was big and spacious. "Hai. There are plenty of rooms for you to pick from. Fridge should be stalked, if not there are plenty food places around or you can call for out catering service Tsunade-sama has set up for guests. Gaara-sama and and Kankuro are welcomed to stay as long as they want. This is all yours, Temari-chan."

Temari's eyes widened. "You mean when they leave I get this place all to myself?"

"Yes. Even if we have guests from other villages they aren't invited to stay. This is for the royal family of the sand." Sakura smiled when she saw all their pleased faces.

"That is very gracious of your leader." Gaara nodded.

"She just wants you to enjoy your stay." She blushed a little when jade eyes fixed on her.

"Well do you want to have dinner with us Sakura-chan?" Temari grinned.

"You're inviting me to dinner?" Sakura felt honored.

"Yeah! We all like you pretty well." Temari smirked.

Sakura looked at her younger brothers. They were both blushing.

Ino was stood in Kiba's doorway, happy that Lee decided to come once she and Kiba were done. "For the fourth time, Lee. I haven't seen Sakura all day."

Kiba came up behind her, shirtless again. "Maybe she's with Hinata."

"I've already looked. And before that I asked Shikamaru. I would have been here sooner but he told me you two where on a mission. I'm glad you're back now! Would either of you be interested in helping me look for Sakura-chan?"

"Some mission that was." Kiba chuckled. Ino punched him in the arm.

"As much as we want to help Lee, we have to.. write Tsunade a report on the mission." Ino faked a smile.

"You're welcomed to come in so we can summarize it to you." Kiba grinned.

Lee, unaware of what really happened smiled. "Thank you for the invitation. I'd love to join you."

Ino growled and pushed Kiba inside. "It's a top secret mission Lee!" She stepped back in and closed the door in his face.

Sakura felt a little uncomfortable eating dinner with the sand siblings. Something about them made her nervous. They were all silent until half way in the meal.

"I hear you're the most promising kunoichi in this village." Temari smiled warmly. "I bet you have a lot of suitors."

Sakura frowned. "Actually I don't really have any suitors."

Kankuro choked on his meal. "Seriously? That's sad!"

Temari scowled at him. "Shut up Kankuro." He flicked her off and continued eating.

"I mean I guess I'm too busy at the hospital or in Tsunade's office. I don't think I have time to worry about suitors."

"Well that's good!" Temari grinned. "We need more independent women in this world."

"That's funny. I heard that a certain blonde kunoichi had reservations with Shikamaru Nara at a certain restaurant on a certain date a week from now." Kankuro grinned widely.

"Shut up Kankuro!" Temari threw a bowl of rice at her brother.

Sakura giggled a little. She had seen Shikamaru at Yamasa making reservations. When she stopped giggling she felt a pair of eyes on her. They were jade eyes. Sakura squirmed in her seat a little.

Lee was that the verge of tears. _Where are you my delicate flower?_

By the end of the night Sakura eased up. The sand siblings were pleasant to be around. They all had different personalities that complemented each other. Sakura felt like she was in her own family. Temari had always been kind to Sakura, she was easy to talk to. It turned out that Kankuro was a funny guy. He had ordered sake bottle after sake bottle, right now he was drunk and ridiculously funny. Gaara was quiet but interesting.

"So Sakura do you need anyone to walk you home?" Temari asked as Gaara paid the check.

"No. I live close by."

"I'll walk you." Sakura looked in the same jade eyes that have been following her all day. Not wanting to argue she nodded.

A drunken Kankuro, now happy with Konoha started singing, off tone. Temari and Sakura laughed. Gaara rolled his eyes and pushed his brother out of the door.

When Temari and Kankuro said their goodbyes and Sakura watched as Temari dragged her brother down the street.

"Lead the way." Gaara said softly.

"Oh..." Sakura forgot he was walking her. "Yeah!"

Sakura and Gaara walked side by side, quietly.

"Is it hard being Kazekage?" Sakura asked.

"No harder than being a jinjuriki host." Sakura didn't know if he was joking or being serious. She remembered what he was like when Shukaku still resided inside him. Gaara was lucky to have Chiyo revive him after the Akatsuki extracted it by force.

She looked at him. The pitch black rims around his eyes had started slowly fading over the years. There was still a hint of the black rims.

"I hear you've been asked to join Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai."

Sakura looked surprise. "How did you know?"

"A leader hears these things even if it's not his village."

"Oh." Sakura wondered what other kind of information he and Tsunade knew that one one else knew.

"Are you going to accept?"

"I don't know. I'll have to be out of the hospital usually. I'm fond of it there. I know the usual patients and helping other ninja when wounded in battle makes me happy. But then I'm needed in the battle field. It's a hard decision."

"There might be a way to juggle between both in ANBU" Sakura looked at Gaara.

"Maybe. Tsunade said for me to think on it while she tries to work something out for me."

Gaara nodded. He looked to the left, feeling an unsetting chakra force.

"Someone's coming."

Sakura froze. She knew that chakra signature. "Oh no."

"**My beloved Sakura!**" Green spandex jumped from the shadows

"Lee... What a pleasant surprise." Sakura gritted her teeth.

"Oh! Gaara-kun! I didn't see you there. Konbanwa." Lee smiled at Gaara. "Did you find my Sakura blossom and decide to accompany her while I arrived?"

Sakura sighed and Gaara noticed. He looked over at her. She was unhappy.

"No" He thought for a minute. "Sakura and I just got through having dinner. I am walking her back to her apartment."

Lee looked puzzled. "Dinner? You mean a date?"

Gaara nodded, placing a hand around Sakura's waist. "A date."

Lee frowned. "Does that mean you moved on to another man Sakura-chan?"

Sakura didn't know what to say. _Is Gaara trying to get Lee off my back?_ She just nodded.

Lee scowled and sighed. "I respect your decision my lotus blossom." He bid Gaara and Sakura fare well and the best of luck before leaving. Sakura stared at Lee's disappearing back. "What just happened?"

"I thought you said you didn't have any suitors." Gaara's arm was still around Sakura.

"No. Well Lee never stood a chance." She felt Gaara laugh quietly.

"Well looks like I saved you."

Sakura looked up at him, thankfully. "My hero."

Gaara petted her head and smiled warmly. "How about we go on another 'date' again sometime?"

Sakura smiled back, "Looks like I found a suitor."


End file.
